creative services

Meet Alexandra Styles

I met Alexandra at St. Alban coffee shop on a sunny Wednesday morning. She walks in with a smile on (a usual look for her) and a boho, summer maxi-dress with the most delicate embroidered detailing. If you were meeting her for the first time, you would instantly feel welcome.

Alexandra Munzel, the creative behind Alexandra Styles, is a fashion stylist with an air of confidence. Her cool, calm, and collected personality draws you in as if she’s your hip older sister about to give you fashion advice. Her clientele (from Charleston to Dubai!) keeps her busy as she educates them on their own closets: what works for their specific body type and skin tone, which classic clothing elements to stick to, and what trends they can mix into their wardrobe. Her resume includes world traveling, styling celebrities for events like the Golden Globes, and building couture fashion brands from the ground up. Yet there is one thing about her that I like most: she is incredibly humble. Alexandra makes you feel instantly comfortable and has a “you-can-do-it” and “live-your-life” kind of mentality.

We order coffees and I splurge for The World’s Best banana bread. Right away we both get off on tangents about our goals and aspirations: then and now. I sit and listen to her stories and knowledge and think to myself how amazing her path has been and how my 24-year-old self still has so much ahead of me.

“Every path you take is a lesson,” she tells me.

Alexandra Munzel, stylist behind Alexandra Styles

Tell me about the Alexandra Styles. Who are you as a company? What do you stand for?

“People often think my last name is “Styles,” which it’s not. I wanted to create a brand outside of my name because what I do is for other people, not for myself. When I created Alexandra Styles five years ago it was to help enable people to feel better about themselves through fashion. It was a merger of two entities I had a passion for… education and fashion.

I didn’t become a stylist because I had the financial means to do so. It’s actually quite the opposite. I didn’t grow up with money to spend on clothing and accessories. I had my first job when I was nine, delivering newspapers, and I’ve worked every year since. My father wanted me to learn the importance of making my own money and being able to manage it at a young age. So, I want people to know that it doesn’t require money to develop a sense of personal style; it takes a better understanding of one’s sense of self. Then the formula becomes simple: when we look good, we feel good.”

I want people to know that it doesn’t require money to develop a sense of personal style; it takes a better understanding of one’s sense of self.

Describe your personal style. How does that play a role in your business?

“I try to practice what I preach and follow the rules that apply to my figure and coloring. My personal style is rather eclectic but I always include a classic piece in my daily wardrobe. Trends come and go but the classics have major staying power in ones wardrobe. I tell my clients to spend their dollars on the pieces that will stay with them the longest. Not only will trends be out of style quickly, but not all trends work for all people.”

You have worn many hats over the years as a teacher, corporate PR manager, celebrity stylist, and boutique owner to say the least. How did those experience train you to start your own business?

“I have had a lot of jobs in my life and I am often questioned why. For a long period of time, I just couldn’t settle into anything. It took me a while to relax, listen to my strengths, and trust myself. By the time I made the decision to start my own company, I was 35… hardly a young person anymore. However, I had enough experiences under my belt to make a very calculated decision. I’ll never forget – I was sitting at my dining room table, looking out the window, and it hit me. I knew what I was going to do and it was going to start tomorrow. I’ve never looked back.”

We’re all dying to know… What was it like to style for A-list celebrities? How did that experience impact your styling perspective today?

“Every experience in one’s life has an impact on who we become. Working with A-list celebrities and stylists was wild, crazy, insane, stressful, and fun all at the same time. I quickly learned that there is a great irony which can exist within the fashion industry. Fashion is beauty, art, composition, perfection and yet there is a very dark and ugly side to it. I told myself to always keep fashion fun and if at any time, I didn’t enjoy it, then I needed to walk away. “

Talk me through your design process. How have you mastered the art of styling?

“Whether I am styling one’s personal wardrobe or styling a shoot for a magazine, I always listen and pay attention to the subject matter. I try to get inside the person’s head and ask “what is their daily life like?” “what is this person’s needs?”. You need to know the functionality of the wardrobe.

Once I’m selecting clothing, I make a list of the client’s needs and really focus in on what I’m buying. There should never be a shock factor – it always has to make sense.”

What’s the next step for your brand?

“For better or for worse, my brain never stops. The only thing that inhibits me is time…there’s never enough of it. Developments of a book and a TV show are on the top of the list but always with my goal in mind: I want to continue to help people feel better about themselves through fashion.”

What is your best networking strategy?

Alexandra literally lol’s and humbly admits that she isn’t the best at networking. “My best strategy is being myself, always. If people like who you are, then great. If they don’t like who you are, you just saved them, and yourself, a LOT of time.”

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your professional career?

“Give everyone a chance. It’s amazing the talents people have if they are put in the environment that lets those talents really shine. Always work hard and have good intentions. Listen twice as much as you speak.”

If you could give a piece of advice to young women in the professional world, what would it be?

“Live! Life is short. Take chances when you are young because you never get that time, innocence and ability to experiment back. Follow your passion and create something of your own. “

Just for Fun:

Quick! Dress me for an outdoor summer soiree. Ready, set, go:

“A neutral wedge shoe (beige or metallic) to elongate your legs and so you don’t sink into the grass. I’d go with a dress that flatters your figure and personality – either a bright color that complements your skin tone or a print that isn’t too large. Patterns and prints are important because they can either magnify or swallow a person depending on their figure.”

Name your go-to Charleston lunch spot.

“A sandwich from Normandy Farms sitting on a park bench with a great friend.”

I read your blog after your article on the Everygirl. I’ve been checking back every day to look for new posts and have been so sad that nothing new has been posted since then! Will you be posting again or should I take you off my list?

Hi Jessica, I am so sorry to keep you waiting! This summer has been a bit of a whirlwind so I decided to take a couple months off. I have a long list of new posts that will be coming in September! Please do check back or subscribe by email to be sure you are getting all the latest updates.

You can also follow me on Instagram for snapshots of the Blanc life! @blancblog